Paper towel dispensers are well known and generally comprise a housing for storing a stack of paper towels and a throat for dispensing the towels from the housing. Such dispensers are commonly used in commercial and institutional settings and conveniently provide the public with access to absorbent paper towels.
Recently, multi-fold towels having enhanced softness and absorption have been introduced into the market. While the enhanced softness and absorption is desirable, it has lead to towels having significantly reduced strength. Consequently, the reduced strength has lead to more frequent occasions of tearing when the towel is dispensed from the throat of a dispenser, especially when grasped by wet fingers. There is a significant need for dispensers that reduce friction between the towels and throat in order to compensate for the reduced strength of enhanced softness paper towels.
Various types of dispensers have been directed at reducing the friction between folded paper towels and dispenser throats during dispensing. For example, some napkin dispensers include pairs of bumpers with ribs. The ribbed bumpers are located near the throat of the dispenser and cause the interfolded napkins to bow out and buckle into the dispensing throat. The bowed shape of the napkin is believed to aid the dispensing of the napkin and reduce drag and tear.
In a similar vein, certain kinds of paper towel dispensers have several flat ribs on the interior walls of the dispenser near the throat opening. The rib profiles, sizes, and locations are uniquely chosen to reduce the friction between the dispenser and the folded towels, thus decreasing the likelihood of tears and other dispensing failures.
While prior art dispensers have sought to address the problem of tearing, numerous disadvantages remain. It has yet to be appreciated that a folded towel dispenser can include directional ribs having different height profiles, thus guiding the towels to the center of the throat opening in a bowed fashion.
Thus, there is still a need for folded towel dispensers with improved dispensing efficiency.